Intellectual Merit: Fast Track Math for Women (FTMW), a train-the-trainer program, will create a cadre of math educators with both a heightened awareness of gender equity in STEM fields and the knowledge to implement a successful math intervention program. FTMW is designed to certify a core set of teachers to become FTMW Administrators, who in turn will train other teachers to administer FTMW programs in their geographic locales. The project will convert the Fast-Track Math teaching as well as a unique curricular segment, Gender Equity in STEM (GES), into professional quality, "diffusible" materials: 12 flash-animated, web-based concept modules and accompanying training manuals. In summer 2010 up to 5 teams of FTMW Administrators will be trained, using videos of the 2009 course, the flash-animated modules reinforcing new math pedagogy, manuals, student progress management software, and a two-week on-site practicum. Through the GES module, FTMW applies findings from existing gender equity research that indicate that special programs such as FTMW can increase girls' and women's interest and persistence in math, science and engineering. The curricular elements of the GES module of the program have been developed by a gender expert in curriculum development; the math program is based on a 10-year-old proven intervention, with its developer among the project collaborators. With feedback from the first cohort of FTMW Administrators received during the 2010-2011 academic year, the program will be modified to include an additional component to train new FTMW Master Facilitators capable of training future FTMW Administrators.
Broader Impacts: FTMW advances current knowledge on gender equity research to a broader practitioner community. The program will demonstrate that a multidisciplinary approach to STEM education can be extraordinarily effective. FTMW has the potential to reach thousands of women and girls and train them in the necessary math skills and confidence to persist in STEM disciplines, potentially leading to an increase in women?s recruitment and retention rates in STEM disciplines. The FTMW program has been designed to enable it to continue in ensuing years to use the materials developed through this grant to train FTMW Administrators and Master Facilitators at educational sites across the nation.
